Wednesday, September 3, 2014

A Shift in Priorities

Lately I've been noticing some changes in my priorities - a shift, if you will. I'm not quite sure what that is all about, or why. Hopefully it means growth of some kind. But the following article (only partially quoted here) helps me to know that I'm probably not alone in this. It also helps with perceived feelings of guilt. Life definitely is an adventure.

In order to live well, you have to be pretty clear on what’s REALLY important to you. But clarifying your priorities is not a one-time exercise. It requires occasional revisiting. It’s kind of a moving target.

Why? Because our priorities change. And that’s not a bad thing.

The things that used to be important to you may not be important any more. Have you considered that lately? The opposite may also be true. Things that used to have little value to you may have recently become more valuable.
These changes in priorities may be due to changes in your circumstances. Perhaps your children have grown up and moved out. Perhaps research has caused you to change your mind about a political perspective or worldview. Maybe the passing of time or the loss of a friend or a new relationship has caused you to look at things differently.

Whatever the case, it’s important to notice this when it happens. If you don’t take time to acknowledge these inner changes, you may find yourself in constant angst and frustration. Inevitably, we structure our lives based on what is truly important to us.

So, when we start acting in ways that don’t line up with what we had previously identified as a “priority,” we begin to feel a bit of guilt for our perceived “failure.” In reality, we’ve just changed. And we need to adjust our mindset and retrain our conscience so it can start reminding us of the right things.